Good Things Happening

 

Recently, Job Squad, Inc. acquired a new Customized Employment Grant through the State of West Virginia for Kanawha County.  We have been busy meeting other agencies in the Charleston area to work as a team in providing Customized Employment for individuals with disabilities.  There are many individuals in the community searching for employment, and Job Squad is there to help.  Through the process of Discovery, we begin working with each individual to find out who the person really is.  We observe their skills and talents in their personal environment and apply these skills and talents in an employment environment. 

 

Customized Employment individualizes the employment relationship between employees and employers in ways that meet the needs of both.  It is based on an individualized determination of the strengths, needs and interests of the person with a disability, and is also designed to meet the specific needs of the employees. Customized Employment assumes the provision of reasonable accommodations and supports necessary for the individual to perform the functions of a job that is individually negotiated and developed. 

 

Contacts are being made and appointments set in Kanawha County, West Virginia, through the services that Job Squad, Inc. provides.  Stay tuned as we begin posting pictures and information about each individual job seeker that we are working with.

The Missing Person in Person Centered Planning

Title XIX Waiver I/DD have changed many times over the years and will continue to change based on federal mandates and the change in social perceptions.  The changes that have been occurring most recently have the appearance and possibility of being changes for the worse.  The WV I/DD Waiver program will be making some changes for the 2015 year. The one that stands out the most is due to budgetary planning and cutting costs: the 1:1 apartment settings will be greatly reduced and not encouraged.  The program does offer a review and comment period; however, will this really allow for the change to be dismissed?  The waiver program is supposed to be based on person centered planning; however, budgetary needs far out weigh the needs of the person.  In addition, people will be forced to live in ways they do not want and it could be negatively impacting their independence.  Folks receiving services already have very little choice in their own lives and the ones they do have will be even further reduced.  Choices and independence will be based on what the roommate wants to do as well, and if the roommate doesn’t want to do something, then they won’t do it.  This is not how the process should work.  This is not beneficial to anyone.  The pocketbook outweighs the needs of the individual.  It makes more sense to the powers that be to cut residential services that promote independence and growth rather than discouraging people from sitting for 6 hours a day in day habilitation settings doing puzzles and coloring pictures.  This train of thought is infuriating.  Individuals and their families need to be aware of the upcoming events and demand that the person be reinstated into the decision making process.  As team members we see more and more that people’s rights are being reduced and more restrictions are being implemented. If the program is going to move forward, then the people the program is supposed to be serving needs to have a chance to speak out and make the program work for them.